alif lām rā Those are the proofs of the Wise Writ.
(10:1)
This chapter revolves around the fact that the words of God are binding. Once God pronounces a thing then it is and none can alter His words i.e. none can change what is to happen. The chapter starts out with addressing those who claim that Muhammad is an “obvious sorcerer” i.e. he is deceiving people. We shall see a similar allegation against Moses by Pharaoh and his council during his time and what happened to them. The fact of the matter is that people were and are blind to the proofs of God since His word has come to effect upon them.
Was it a wonder to men that We revealed to a man among them: “Warn thou men, and bear thou glad tidings to those who heed warning, that they have a precedence of honour in the sight of their Lord”? The false claimers of guidance say: “This is an obvious sorcerer.”
(10:2)
Your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne, directing the matter. There is no intercessor save after His leave; that is God, your Lord, so serve Him. Will you then not take heed! Unto Him is your return all together — the promise of God in truth. He begins creation, then He repeats it that He might reward those who heed warning and do righteous deeds with equity. And those who ignore warning will have a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment for what they denied.
(10:3-4)
God cites the proofs of His power to give credence to His word; the Promise that He will raise the dead on the Day of Judgment and reward each man for what he strove for in this life. Incidentally, the age old question as to what our purpose in life is answered in clear terms: to believe in God and to do righteous deeds.
He it is that made the sun an illumination, and the moon a light; and He determined for it phases, that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. God created that not save in truth; He sets out and details the proofs for people who know. In the alternation of night and day, and what God has created in the heavens and the earth, are proofs for people who are in prudent fear.
(10:5-6)
Further proofs of God’s power are in the two pairs: the sun and the moon. Throughout the Qur’an, God brings our attention to the pairs He created in all of His creation. The alternation of day and night – a pair – is a special proof for those who fear their encounter with their Lord on the Day of Judgment i.e. time is running out.
Those who look not for the meeting with Us, and are pleased with the life of this world and are at rest therein, and those who are heedless of Our proofs, Those: their shelter is Hell for what they earned.
Those who heed warning and do righteous deeds: their Lord will guide them by their faith; there will flow beneath them rivers in the Gardens of Bliss. Their supplication therein will be: “Glory be to Thee, O God!” and their greeting therein will be: “Peace!” And the end of their supplication will be: “Praise belongs to God, the Lord of All Creation!”
(10:7-10)
It does not matter what a man claims; if he is content with this life and heedless of God’s proofs in the Qur’an and all around him, then his shelter is the fire. Conversely, those who believe and do righteous deeds, their Lord will increase them in faith and guide them to the Gardens of Eternity.
And were God to hasten for men the ill as they would hasten the good, their term would have been concluded for them. But We leave those who look not for the meeting with Us, wandering blindly in their inordinacy. And when affliction touches man, he calls to Us on his side, or sitting, or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he passes by as though he had not called to Us about an affliction which touched him; thus is made fair to the committers of excess what they do.
(10:11-12)
God could have already have seized the unbelievers for their transgressions. But He has given them time to enjoy because of a word that has gone forth from Him.
But the satan caused them to fall therefrom, and turned them out of what they were in; and We said: “Get you all down, an enemy to one another; and for you in the earth are a dwelling-place and provision for a time.”
(2:36)
Man calls to God at the time of distress fervently and when God removes his distress, he forgets God’s mercy upon him. He continues on his way not only by not being grateful to God, but by attributing partners to Him. In the case of the current generation, by attributing luck or one’s own craftiness.
And We destroyed the generations before you when they did wrong, and their messengers came to them with clear signs, but they were not to believe — thus reward We the lawbreaking people. Then We appointed you successors in the earth after them, that We might see how you will do.
(10:13-14)
Two question arise: Why did the generations before did not believe when their messengers came to them with clear signs? And what wrong did they commit that warranted their complete destruction? The answer follows.
And when Our proofs are recited to them as clear signs, those who look not for the meeting with Us say: “Bring thou a Qur’an other than this; or change thou it.” Say thou: “It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I follow only what is revealed to me. I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous day.” Say thou: “Had God willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you; for I had tarried among you a lifetime before it.” Will you then not use reason! Then who is more unjust than he who invents a lie about God, or denies His proofs? The lawbreakers are not successful.
(10:15-17)
The wrong that the generations before were doing was that they were denying His proofs. Similarly, the current generation is denying the proofs of God: in the case of the Christians and Jews, they are calling Muhammad a deceiver (that he invented the Qur’an) and in the case of the Muslims, they are circumventing the Qur’an by means of introducing a separate literature called the hadith in order to explain it. Thus, these “lawbreakers” will never believe even though the clear signs in the Qur’an have come to them. And the earlier generations were also doing wrong by inventing lies about God. And what were these lies they were inventing? The answer follows.
And they serve, besides God, what neither harms them nor benefits them; and they say: “These are our intercessors with God.” Say thou: “Would you inform God of what He knows not in the heavens or in the earth?” Glory be to Him! And exalted is He above that to which they ascribe a partnership!
(10:18)
The earlier generations were inventing lies that their intercessors would help them. Similarly, the current generation invents the lie that Jesus or Muhammad will help them. However, God has already made known to them that “there is no intercessor save after His leave”. So do they still dare to inform God; the One who knows all?
And mankind was only one community, then they differed; and were it not for a word that preceded from thy Lord, it would have been concluded between them concerning that wherein they differ.
(10:19)
Mankind all believed in the One True God after the flood of Noah. However, they differed and were it not for God’s word (His proclamation), He would have already seized them for their transgressions.
It was said: “O Noah: get thee down in peace from Us, and blessings upon thee and upon nations out of those with thee. And nations will We give enjoyment — then a painful punishment from Us will touch them.”
(11:48)
And when We let men taste mercy after affliction has touched them, then have they a scheme concerning Our proofs. Say thou: “God is swifter in scheme!” Our messengers write down what you scheme. He it is that lets you travel in the earth and the sea; when you have boarded ships and sailed by them with a good breeze and exulted thereat–– A tempest wind came upon them, and the waves came on them from every side, and they thought they were encompassed therein; they called to God, sincere to Him in doctrine: “If Thou deliver us from this, we will be among the grateful!” Then when He delivers them, they rebel in the earth without cause.) O mankind: your sectarian zealotry is but against yourselves, — the enjoyment of the life of this world — then to Us is your return and We will inform you of what you did.
(10:21-23)
Man denied God’s favor as we saw earlier when God cured him from sickness and he did not thank God, nor did he take heed. Similarly, when he is caught in a storm in the sea he calls to God alone forsaking his invented intercessors, but when God delivers him, he rebels on the earth. Keep in the mind this theme of drowning as three related examples will be narrated.
The likeness of the life of this world is but like water We send down from the sky, and the plants of the earth mingle with it, whereof men and cattle eat: when the earth has taken her decoration, and is made fair, and its people think they have power over it, Our command comes by night or by day, and We make it reaped as if it had not flourished the day before — thus do We set out and detail the proofs for people who reflect. And God calls to the Abode of Peace, and guides whom He wills to a straight path.
(10:24-25)
We feel secure about our life when in reality is only one word of God and everything will perish. The life of this world is full of dangers whereas God calls us to the Abode of Peace or Security in the Hereafter.
For those who do good is the best and more; and there will cover their faces neither dust nor disgrace. Those are the companions of the Garden; therein they abide eternally.
And for those who earn evil deeds is a reward for evil by the like thereof; and disgrace will cover them — they will not have against God any defender — as if their faces were covered with pieces of darkening night. Those are the companions of the Fire; therein they abide eternally.
(10:26-27)
And the day We gather them all together, then will We say to those who ascribe a partnership: “Your places — you and your partners!” Then We will separate them, and their partners will say: “It was not us you served.
“Sufficient is God as witness between us and you; we were, of your service, unaware.”
Thereupon will every soul prove what it did before; and they will be returned to God, their protector, the Truth; and strayed from them will be what they invented.
(10:28-30)
On the Day of Judgment, God will command those who claimed that their intercessors would help them to put their claim to the test. Then, they will realize that what they had invented has deceived them. But they already knew that it was a falsehood since they forsook their intercessors when they were struck by a storm on the sea.
Say thou: “Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth?” If He who owns the hearing and the sight, and He who brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living, and He who directs the matter — then will they say: “God” — then say thou: “Will you then not be in prudent fear!” For that is God, your Lord, the Truth; then what is there after the truth but error? How then are you diverted? Thus did the word of thy Lord become binding upon those who are perfidious, that they do not believe.
(10:31-33)
Say thou: “Is there among your partners one that begins creation then repeats it?” Say thou: “God begins creation then repeats it; how then are you deluded?” Say thou: “Is there among your partners one that guides to the truth?” Say thou: “God guides to the truth; is then He who guides to the truth worthier to be followed, or he who guides not save he be guided? Then what ails you? How judge you?” And most of them follow only assumption; assumption avails nothing against the truth. God knows what they do.
(10:34-36)
Muslims claim to follow Muhammad by following the hadith. Even if we ignore the fact that the hadith was written down centuries after Muhammad’s death by questionable people, God makes it very clear that it is the Qur’an (God’s word) that we are to follow. This is the best course of action.
And this Qur’an is not such as could be invented by other than God; but it is a confirmation of what is before it, and an exposition of the Writ about which there is no doubt, from the Lord of All Creation.
If they say: “He invented it,” say thou: “Bring a sūrah the like thereof; and call whom you can besides God, if you be truthful.”
(10:37-38)
If they claim that Muhammad invented the Qur’an i.e. he is a deceiver/sorcerer, then they are told to bring a chapter like it and to call their witnesses attesting that is from God, but God has already attested that He sent it down with His knowledge. His testimony is the greatest.
But God bears witness to what He has sent down to thee: He sent it down with His knowledge; and the angels bear witness, but sufficient is God as witness.
(4:166)
The truth is, they have denied what they compassed not in knowledge, and whose interpretation has not yet come to them. Thus denied those before them. Then see thou how was the final outcome of the wrongdoers.
(10:39)
Like the destroyed generation earlier, who were wrongdoers, you deny the Qur’an without doing your due diligence. You have already been told about the the final end of those who did likewise, hopefully you might take heed.
And among them is he who believes in it; and among them is he who believes not in it. And thy Lord best knows the workers of corruption.
(10:40)
And if they deny thee, then say thou: “To me be my work, and to you be your work; you are quit of what I do, and I am quit of what you do.”
(10:41)
And among them are some who listen to thee — canst thou make the deaf to hear, though they do not reason? And among them is he who looks at thee — canst thou guide the blind when they do not see?
God wrongs not men in anything; but men wrong their souls.
(10:42-44)
Those who do not use their God given faculties wrong their own souls. God has given you hearing, sight and intelligence. But you do not listen, you only hear. You do not see, you only look. You do not use reason, you only follow your inclinations.
And the day He gathers them will be as if they had tarried only an hour of the day: they will recognise one another; those will have lost who denied the meeting with God and were not guided.
(10:45)
And whether We show thee some of what We promise them, or We take thee: to Us is their return; then is God witness over what they do. And for every community is a messenger; then when their messenger comes, it will be concluded between them with equity, and they will not be wronged.
(10:46-47)
The messenger of our generation, Muhammad, has already come and gone. We are living in the end of times.
And they say: “When is this promise, if you be truthful?” Say thou: “I have power to do myself neither harm nor benefit save that God should will.” For every community is a term; when their term comes, then they will not defer an hour, nor will they advance. Say thou: “Have you considered: if His punishment come to you by night or by day, what is there of it the lawbreakers will seek to hasten?” Then is it, when it has befallen, you will believe in it? Now? When you had sought to hasten it? Then will it be said to those who did wrong: “Taste the punishment of eternity!” Are you to be rewarded save for what you earned?
(10:48-52)
Will you believe when the Day of Judgment arrives? What will be the point then? God has given you time to repent and reform. This addresses the infatuation within all religions for the signs of the Day of Judgment.
And they ask thee to inform them: “Is it true?” Say thou: “Yea, by my Lord, it is true; and you cannot escape.” And were there for each soul that did wrong all that is in the earth, it would seek to ransom itself thereby; and they cannot express the remorse when they see the punishment, and it is concluded between them with equity; and they will not be wronged.
(10:53-54)
In truth, to God belongs what is in the heavens and the earth. In truth, the promise of God is true; but most of them know not. He gives life and He gives death; and to Him will you be returned.
(10:55-56)
The word of God will take effect, the Judgment will befall. We shall see the finality of God’s word in the story of Pharaoh later in the chapter.
O mankind: there has come to you an admonition from your Lord, and healing for what is in the breasts, and guidance, and a mercy for the believers.
(10:57)
Say thou: “At the bounty of God, and at His mercy: —” At that let them exult; it is better than what they amass. Say thou: “Have you seen what God has sent down for you of provision, and you have made thereof lawful and unlawful?” Say thou: “Did God give you leave, or is it about God that you invent?”And what will those who invent lies about God think on the Day of Resurrection? God is bountiful to mankind, but most of them are not grateful.
(10:58-60)
The earlier generations invented lies about God and you have seen what has happened to them. Will you declare what is allowed and forbidden, restricting men from accessing the bounty of God? All religions/cults have made-up rules about what is allowed and forbidden. Certainly, the consumption of meat is being moved towards the forbidden realm by the environmentalists.
And thou art not in any matter, and thou recitest not from it any recital, and you do no deed save that We are over you witnesses when you are engaged therein; and there does not escape thy Lord the weight of an atom in the earth or in the heaven. Whether less than that, or greater, it is in a clear writ.
(10:61)
In truth, the allies of God: no fear will be upon them, nor will they grieve. Those who heed warning and are in prudent fear: For them are glad tidings in the life of this world and in the Hereafter: — there is no changing the words of God — that is the Great Achievement.
(10:62-64)
Those who heed warning i.e. repent and reform and fear God and the Last Day are allies of God, they have no fear in this life or the Hereafter. They have good news in this life and the Hereafter, that is the word of God which is binding.
And let not their speech grieve thee; power and glory belong to God altogether; He is the Hearing, the Knowing. In truth, to God belongs whoso is in the heavens and whoso is in the earth; and they follow — those who call to partners other than God — they follow only assumption; and they are only guessing.
(10:65-66)
He it is that made for you the night wherein to rest, and the day, sight-giving; in that are proofs for people who hear.
(10:67)
They say: “God has taken a son.” Glory be to Him! He is the Free from Need; to Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth! You have no authority for this; do you ascribe to God what you know not? Say thou: “Those who invent lies about God will not succeed.” An enjoyment in the World, then to Us is their return; then will We let them taste the severe punishment because of what they denied.
(10:68-70)
And recite thou to them the report of Noah, when he said to his people: “O my people: if my presence and my reminding you of the proofs of God be grievous to you, then in God have I placed my trust; so resolve upon your plan and your partners; then let not your plan be unclear to you; then move decisively against me, and grant me no respite. “And if you turn away, then have I asked of you no reward; my reward is only upon God; and I have been commanded to be among those submitting.” Then they denied him; so We delivered him, and those with him in the ship, and made them successors, and We drowned those who denied Our proofs. Then see thou how was the final outcome of those who had been warned!
(10:71-73)
As I remarked earlier that the theme of drowning is important. In all three examples that are in this chapter, the characters were cast into the sea. In the case of the people of Noah, they denied the messenger Noah and God drowned them. In the case of Pharaoh, he was about to drown and then believed in God, but God did not save him. We shall see later why God did not save him. In the case of Jonah, he was cast into the sea and the the whale swallowed him up where he asked forgiveness of God and God delivered him.
Then raised We up, after him, messengers to their people, and they came to them with clear signs; but they were not to believe in what they had denied before; thus do We seal the hearts of the transgressors.
(10:74)
Once a people deny God’s initial proofs, then his word becomes binding upon them i.e. God seals their hearts. We shall see an example of that in the drowning of Pharaoh.
Then raised We up, after them, Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh and his eminent ones with Our proofs, but they had waxed proud; and they were a people of lawbreakers. And when the truth came to them from Us, they said: “This is obvious sorcery.” Moses said: “Do you say of the truth when it has come to you: ‘Is this sorcery?’ But the sorcerers will not be successful.” They said: “Hast thou come to us to turn us away from that upon which we found our fathers, and that there be for you majesty in the land? And we do not believe you.”
(10:75-78)
Pharaoh and his Council were lawbreakers because they rejected the clear signs with which Moses came to them.
And Pharaoh said: “Bring to me every learned sorcerer.” And when the sorcerers came, Moses said to them: “Cast what you will cast!” And when they had cast, Moses said: “What you have brought is sorcery; God will make it vain; God makes not right the work of the workers of corruption. “And God establishes the truth by His words, though the lawbreakers be averse.”
(10:79-82)
And there believed not Moses save a progeny of his people, for fear of Pharaoh and their eminent ones, that they would subject them to means of denial; and Pharaoh was exalted in the land, and he was of the committers of excess.
(10:83)
And Moses said: “O my people: if you believe in God, then place your trust in Him, if you are submitting.” And they said: “In God have we placed our trust.” — “Our Lord: make Thou not us a means of denial for the wrongdoing people, “And deliver Thou us by Thy mercy from the people of the false claimers of guidance.”
(10:84-86)
And We instructed Moses and his brother: “Settle your people in Egypt in houses, and make your houses a destination; and uphold the duty; and bear thou glad tidings to the believers.” And Moses said: “Our Lord: Thou hast given Pharaoh and his eminent ones adornment and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord, that they might lead astray from Thy path. Our Lord: destroy Thou their wealth, and harden Thou their hearts, so that they believe not until they see the painful punishment.” He said: “Your supplication has been answered; so take a straight path, and follow not the path of those who know not.”
(10:87-89)
God answered the prayer of the children of Israel and Moses. He saved them from the wrongdoing people and He destroyed Pharaoh’s and his Council’s wealth, and sealed their hearts so they did not believe until they saw the punishment. God’s word is binding.
And We brought the children of Israel across the sea; and Pharaoh followed them with his forces in sectarian zealotry and enmity. When the drowning had overtaken him, he said: “I believe there is no god save He in whom the children of Israel believe; and I am of those submitting.” “Now? And thou opposedst before, and wast of the workers of corruption? “So this day will We save thee in thy body, that thou be a proof to those after thee.” But most among men are heedless of Our proofs.
(10:90-92)
As Moses had asked for, Pharoah did not believe until he was about to drown where he then believed in God and submitted to Him. But the word of God is binding , God did not save him. He only saved his body.
And We settled the children of Israel in a goodly settlement, and provided them with good things; and they differed not until knowledge came to them. Thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differed.
(10:93)
And if thou art in doubt about what We have sent down to thee, then ask thou those who read the Writ before thee. The truth from thy Lord has come to thee, so be thou not of those who doubt.
(10:94)
And be thou not of those who deny the proofs of God, for thou wouldst be among the losers. Those upon whom the word of thy Lord has become binding, they will not believe. And though every proof come to them until they see the painful punishment[…].
(10:95-97)
Upon those who deny God’s proofs initially, His word becomes binding. No matter what signs come to them after that and “even if the dead were to speak to them”, they will not believe.
Oh, that a city had but believed and profited by its faith save the people of Jonah! When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in the life of this world, and gave them enjoyment for a time.
(10:98)
And had thy Lord willed, whoso is in the earth would have believed — all of them all together. Wouldst thou then compel mankind until they believe? And it is for a soul to believe only by the leave of God; and He appoints abomination for those who do not reason. Say thou: “Look at what is in the heavens and the earth!” But the proofs and the warnings avail not a people who do not believe.
(10:99-101)
It is God’s will who believes and who disbelieves. And upon whom God’s word becomes binding, they will not believe even though every proof comes to them. All the manifest proofs in the heavens and in the earth are of no use to a people who do not believe.
Do they await save the like of the days of those who passed away before them? Say thou: “Then wait — I am with you waiting.” Then will We save Our messengers, and those who heed warning; thus is it binding upon Us: We save the believers.
(10:102-103)
As God has done before, He will do again; He will deliver the believers and destroy the unbelievers. His word is binding.
Say thou: “O mankind: if you are in doubt about my doctrine: I serve not those whom you serve besides God; but I serve God, who will take you; and I am commanded to be of the believers; “And: ‘Set thou thy face towards the doctrine, inclining to truth; and be thou not of the idolaters; “‘And call thou not, besides God, to what neither profits thee nor harms thee; for if thou dost, then art thou of the wrongdoers.’” And if God should touch thee with affliction, then is there none to remove it save He; and if He should desire good for thee, then is there none to repel His bounty: He causes it to fall upon whom He wills of His servants; and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
(10:104-107)
This is the core of the doctrine of the religion revealed by God; to not associate anything with Him and to believe in Him and the last Day. We are to trust in God alone and call to Him alone. He alone has power to cause us benefit and harm.
Say thou: “O mankind: the truth has come to you from your Lord; and whoso is guided, he is but guided for his soul; and whoso strays, he but strays against it; and I am not a guardian over you.” And follow thou what is revealed to thee; and be thou patient until God judges; and He is the best of judges.
(10:108-109)
So be patient for the word of God to come into effect, His promise is near. On that Day, God, the Supreme Judge, will decide the whole of the matter and He is the best of judges.
All translations are from The Qur’an: A Complete Revelation by Sam Gerrans.